> From: Murray Eisenberg > Sent: Saturday, 31 July 2010 02:11 > > 1. Where is the documentation for "plotlines"? > > [I cannot even find documentation for a "line" type plot in J602! > Perhaps I didn't look in the right place in 602: I tried > "scriptdoc'plot'" and then j602/help/user/plot.htm, which referred me > to > wiki page http://www.jsoftware.com/jwiki/Plot, which doesn't tell me > anything useful there, and on the linked page > http://www.jsoftware.com/jwiki/Plot/Data there's not so much as a > single > example. Yes, I know there's a Lab, but I want to see documentation > (with examples), not a tutorial.]
With regards to documentation for the existing plot, I agree that it could do with some more fleshing out - especially with examples. The documentation for Google charts is nice from that point of view. If you are after some more examples of J Plot, don't forget the plot demo (View Definition to see the code) and http://www.jsoftware.com/jwiki/Studio/Plot . > 2. So we have to be grateful for the kindness of strangers here, > namely, Google. As long as that kindness lasts, of course -- at least at the > present price. > > 3. So we now have to go outside J itself to do ordinary things such as > plot a nice line chart? I don't think this is the intended implication - more that there is now the option to use other facilities as well as plot. I'd certainly like to see JHS support for J's existing plot facility developed as well. > 4. Perhaps from the narrow perspective of J this is a "big deal". My impression is that the verb plotlines is designed to show the sort of interactions with existing code that a browser-based session makes possible (with relatively little effort on behalf of the J community) rather than show off a/the new charting module for J. I suspect that the verb (as is) is not even necessarily intended to become a permanent part of J. Given the size and resources of the J community, being able to leverage development effort from other communities is important too. > As a user, also, of Mathematica, I note that for a long time one has > been able to accomplish the same sort of thing without ever leaving the > latter system: > > data = Partition[RandomInteger[1000, 20], 10]; > ListLinePlot[data] > > That doesn't give a legend such as displayed in the J/Google Charts > example, although one can readily add such a legend or add tooltips to > display as you mouse over the data points on the plot. And set colors; > line widths; filling between the lines or from each line to the axis or > anywhere else; select where axis ticks go and how they are labeled; > etc. > > The resulting Mathematica graphic can be exported in all kinds of > formats, including png, for use elsewhere. I'm not sure I understand the point you are making here. It has obviously been possible to create and export plots in various formats from J for some time too. plot 20 1...@$ 1000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
